AC may be dead....

[BigSwede]

After taking Billy to the airport, came home to a muggy house. Went to check the AC, and it was on.....no cold air. Have had the problem before, but a breaker cycle was what fixed it. well, turned everything off for a bit, went back and turned it on. Adjusted the thermostat and the blower comes on. Walked out back, the outdoor unit is not on. Felt the top, the motor seems to have crapped the bed. What are my options? Can the motor be replaced or are we better off finding a replacement unit indoor and out? The entire unit is pretty old, and I knew we were on borrowed time, I just didn't expect it to happen now.

If anyone knows of a good AC dude or dudette near Baltimore that won't rake us over the coals, please comment.

Cheers.

[TimmyD]

How old is the system? It is a heat pump? If over 15 years, then yea, a new one is probably a good idea.
You might just be low in refrigerant, i.e. a leak that needs fixin'.

...'memeber, I'm just a doof on a vetical learning curve to get educated on home HVAC.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by TimmyD

How old is the system? It is a heat pump? If over 15 years, then yea, a new one is probably a good idea.
You might just be low in refrigerant, i.e. a leak that needs fixin'.

...'memeber, I'm just a doof on a vetical learning curve to get educated on home HVAC.

It's not a heat pump, just a regular AC unit. I let the unit cool off for a bit, and then turned it back on, makes the usual noise, thought the fan in the outside unit doesn't spin........Time to start shopping. This unit's pretty old, I think it's 22 years old

[Sonic]

yeah new one.... much better SEER ratings....save you some on the Electrical Bill...

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by Sonic

yeah new one.... much better SEER ratings....save you some on the Electrical Bill...

That's what I'm thinkin too......just wasn't expecting to spend that kinda money....

[Big Cheese]

Might be some stimulus money/tax rebates available too.

[y2k king]

if the compressor comes on and the outside fan doesn't, take a look at the fan capacitor. if it's swollen or has a bad terminal, remove it and take it to an electric motor shop and have em test it. it'd be alot cheaper just to replace the fan motor then the whole unit. but, with a new unit you'll see the drop in your electric bill monthly and you won't be waitin for that day when the compressor dies.

[TalonChief]

$1500 or 30%, which ever is lower, tax credit for 09 and 10 on this sort of stuff. But, I agree w/ Todd; fan motors are cheap. Maybe fix this one and save some pennies to upgrade the whole system later.

I'm currently saving pennies to swap out my 23-YO system.

[YankeeBob]

Is the compressor running and the fan not? Could be the fan.
If you are tight on cash, then repairing it will be cheaper than replacing it. If you want to replace it, then it won't be cheap. But, will be a helluva lot more efficient than what you have now.

Read here:
http://ezinearticles.com/?New-Laws-o...AC)&id=1944343

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by y2k king

if the compressor comes on and the outside fan doesn't, take a look at the fan capacitor. if it's swollen or has a bad terminal, remove it and take it to an electric motor shop and have em test it. it'd be alot cheaper just to replace the fan motor then the whole unit. but, with a new unit you'll see the drop in your electric bill monthly and you won't be waitin for that day when the compressor dies.

Yeah. compressor coming on, but no fan. Fan motor is hotternhell though, so I think it's toast. Where can I find the capacitor?

Originally Posted by YankeeBob

Is the compressor running and the fan not? Could be the fan.
If you are tight on cash, then repairing it will be cheaper than replacing it. If you want to replace it, then it won't be cheap. But, will be a helluva lot more efficient than what you have now.

Read here:
http://ezinearticles.com/?New-Laws-o...AC)&id=1944343

Originally Posted by TalonChief

$1500 or 30%, which ever is lower, tax credit for 09 and 10 on this sort of stuff. But, I agree w/ Todd; fan motors are cheap. Maybe fix this one and save some pennies to upgrade the whole system later.

I'm currently saving pennies to swap out my 23-YO system.

If I can repair this one, that's the way I will go. If not, then we may be looking at a good 18 months same as cash deal or one of the other incentives I've been reading about today.....

[MrSurly]

Could be the capacitor or the fan motor, as others have said. I would look into swapping the cap and /or motor to get it running, then wait for a few months to get quotes on the replacement. I expect you'll get much better prices then.

I wish I could fix mine with a cap right now. I'm right in the middle of pulling the suddenly-started-leaking A-coil out of mine this afternoon.

Now THATS fun.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by masstch

Could be the capacitor or the fan motor, as others have said. I would look into swapping the cap and /or motor to get it running, then wait for a few months to get quotes on the replacement. I expect you'll get much better prices then.

I wish I could fix mine with a cap right now. I'm right in the middle of pulling the suddenly-started-leaking A-coil out of mine this afternoon.

Now THATS fun.

Where's the capacitor? Where does one go to get a new one, or a new motor for that matter? If i can do this myself, that's the route I'll take.....

In looking at it, is the capacitor the piece located in a white-ish cover on the wiring going to the motor?

[MrSurly]

If you were to post a photo I could be more help with the ID. There are caps for the compressor, usually mounted in the enclosed electrical panel on the outdoor unit (the "condensor" or "condensing unit") and there are one or two caps for the fan motor, sometimes mounted in the panel, but often directly on the fan motor.

Be aware that capacitors store energy, that's their job. After killing the breaker(s) and testing with a meter to be sure that the power to the panel is killed out, the capacitors still contain energy and will knock the holy crap outta ya if mishandled. The good news is that its pretty easy and somewhat entertaining to make them safe. After assuring that incoming power is completely removed (check it with a meter), then you can simply use the tip of a well-insulated screwdriver to bridge the two connections of the cap and it will discharge (arc/pow/golly gee-willikers-didja see that?) do that three times to be sure. No more arcing means no energy left.

[MrSurly]

I need to add here that messing with this stuff could GET YOU KILLED.
Do not dive into it if you are unsure.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by masstch

If you were to post a photo I could be more help with the ID. There are caps for the compressor, usually mounted in the enclosed electrical panel on the outdoor unit (the "condensor" or "condensing unit") and there are one or two caps for the fan motor, sometimes mounted in the panel, but often directly on the fan motor.

Here are some pics....

Repair dude is supposed to call me back at some point to discuss the problem.....